Thoughts on things that matter for time and eternity…

Avoiding Procrastination

(Photograph by Franco Advincula)
At the temple last night, I was reminded by an old acquaintance to do a “write up” for my blog this week. I promised her I would and I am keeping my promise.
Oh, how I miss writing! I’ve been pre-occupied with a lot of things that I’ve been procrastinating doing some of the things that are equally important and those that I truly love. Some of the things I’ve been postponing to do are mundane and do not have any major impact in my life, such as seeing that one good movie that I’ve always looked forward to and missed, and failing to book that dream out-of-town vacation flight that was offered for a promotional price! Argh! But some are essential and have caused me pain (literally!), such as seeing my dentist for a regular check-up and changing my worn-out spare tire for a more reliable one.
Simple and trivial as it may seem, I know that it is important to see our dentist at least every six months for a regular check-up. I’ve always been good at doing it except this year. I rationalized that I regularly brushed my teeth anyway and that my schedule was so full that I just didn’t have time for even a prophylaxis. So I pushed out the schedule for a dental appointment month after month until one day I was surprised to wake up with an uncomfortable toothache. Still my full schedule prevailed that I didn’t set the dental appointment and had let it become sore and swollen. 😦 Needless to say, I endured the pain and suffered all the discomfort that could’ve been avoided had I only done what I was supposed to do at the right time. I painfully learned that the old adage is true—prevention is always better than cure.
Many of us easily fall into the temptation of procrastination. It’s as easy as taking a deep breath of air. Although some things we procrastinate are small and insignificant, there are those that we need to address right away before it becomes too late and we run out of time.
In the scriptures we read: “But behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of the righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head” (Helaman 13:38).
I know it is wise to heed this advice not to procrastinate and waste the days of our probation. It is a temporary life and tomorrow may never come to some of us. We do not have to suffer the consequences of our inaction in order to learn the lesson.
May we have the wisdom to make correct choices and set our priorities straight so that we don’t miss out on the essential things in life. Let’s think about the important things that we’ve been meaning to do but have been setting aside for so long. Let’s get up and get them done NOW—before it’s everlastingly too late.
Enjoy the rest of the week everybody and let’s strive to avoid procrastinating things that are truly important in our lives!! 🙂

You are really good sa mga blogs mo…I donnot delete them…I share them to some of mny friends…Reallhy its true porocrastinating should not be our habit…This seerves me a great lesson…coz, I used to procrastinate manhy things in life and NOW…I REGRET and cannot be repaired..I feel sorry for these…the Lord knows

Hey Fely, cheer up! As long as you’re mending your ways and acknowledging your room for improvement, then you’re better off than yesterday. I think we should all learn to forgive, and that includes forgiving ourselves. You’re right. The Lord knows your heart and He will judge you accordingly. Take care of yourself. *hugs*

Hi, Cherry , I really felt guilty for the names I have to do in the temple for not doing them even if I go to the temple I don’t know I am lazy to submit the names to the temple genealogy section or department even though I have the data already and now it is hard for me to do it because I am attending to my eldest sister who is 82 a spinster and I can ‘t leave him alone because she always ask for my presence and I am away from the temple . now we are in Montalban but she wanrs to go home to bikol so we are leaving on Friday the 5th of November . Now I wish I can do my list before I go back to Seattle in March. mom